Artists using LinkedIn.

So I think it's really important for theatre artists (and artists in general) to market themselves. You must create yourself as a brand, think of what you offer as a product. Sell yourself. Pick the right monologue, pick the right outfit, pick the right paper for your resume. Make yourself stand out and be irresistible.

Since I do social media marketing as my day job, obviously I try to use it as well to market myself. I use my personal Facebook account (I have one for work too, long story) as a way connect with the local Baltimore Theatre scene and know what's going on around town. I tweet about theatre, social media, association stuff, etc. I have a LinkedIn profile as a kind of personal resume for both my theatre stuff and association stuff, I could probably be more specific and create separate profiles for each each... but honestly, I have enough social media profiles to maintain. Anyways, I digress.

So LinkedIn is in a way nothing more than an interactive online resume. So why the hell aren't more theatre artists using it for that?

I just ordered theatre business cards from moo printing with my headshot on one side and my contact info on the other, headshots are too cumbersome to ALWAYS carry around, and I also put my easy to remember LinkedIn URL (http://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnmorton). What an easy way for someone I randomly bump into to view all that I do!

The key is to make it easy for them to remember who you are and what you do.

So basically what I'm saying is sign up for a LinkedIn profile and use it to the best of your ability.

My New Favorite Blog.

That's right, I stumbled across what has fast become my new favorite blog. He's a theatre artist in NYC who is opinionated and fabulous. Okay, I'm a little partial, I went to school with him, but it was only for one year and he's super talented, so it totally negates itself. Anyways, check it out. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Tarhearted.

What I learned from Superheroes...

So lately I've been watching superhero movies. The Incredible Hulk, Ironman, Dark Knight, etc. What can I say? The bar has been raised and superhero movies are a lot better than they used to be. Well I noticed something that they all have in common...

They are honorable, but they are self-loathing as well. I wonder if their self-loathing is directly related to their honor as a human being.

(Please remember this analysis is based off of the movies I've watched, not the comic books)

The Hulk: An anger induced monster who responds only to the woman he loves when he is in that state. When he isn't busting with rage, Bruce tries to keep calm, keep the monster under wraps. He fights his true nature and focuses on maintaining what he sees as the real him, while denying the rage that lies beneath.

The Dark Knight: Bruce Wayne is a playboy who floats through life, his counterpart fights the evil that lies deep within the city he loves. Batman is his true self in a sense, while Bruce is his cover. I feel with that way that it's portrayed that though he hates his "Bruce Wayne" persona, he maintains it to provide a cover for his true passion.

Ironman: Tony Stark comes to loathe the man he once was. Through his alter ego he realizes that there are more important things in this world than lots of money, fast woman and big guns. He learns to see what's right in front of him and that though there are fun toys, people are what's most important.

There are a few others that have similar themes (The Punisher and X-Men come to mind off the top of my head). So what does this mean as artists? I think for an actor that it is one more thing to look at. What does a character hate about themselves? Does that hatred/self-loathing bring honor or is it a source of shame?

Just one thing to think about.

No Bailout for the Arts?

Hey All,

It's been a long awhile. Life has been full with a new job, new challenges and a new project. Then there was the holidays. I'm starting to get back into the swing of things and realize I've been completely ignoring my theatre blog (I really haven't been blogging anywhere). I was going through my Reader today and found an interesting article on Broadway World about a Washington Post article (still following me?).

No Bailout for the Arts? by Michael Kaiser

He talks about how the donors are drying up because their personal portfolios have dwindled amidst economic crisis. Mr. Kaiser also calls for the government to not forget the arts organizations as they pass out the bailout money. A very noble sentiment, but at the same time I get this sinking feeling...

Don't get me wrong, I think it's horrible that the Baltimore Opera went under and that many arts organizations are struggling. But at the same time I can't help but compare them to all these huge companies that spend millions of dollars a year. It's hard to feel sad for theatres that have budgets I could only dream of. Yes, I believe that actors, directors and designers deserve a fair wage, but at the same time aren't there ways to cut back on the budgets? It's hard for me to sympathize when the show I'm currently working on has a budget of $500 and if we need more money we need to fundraise or finance it ourself.

I love beautiful big productions, but having limitations increases your creativity. Like in Watch we didn't have a budget to make sure I had all the equipment I needed to fulfill the playwright's wish of using video in the play. I had to come up with something different, I had to get creative. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. I know that this can come off as a little cold to my fellow artists, but I hope it is taken as a challenge to get creative. I look at these hard economic times as a chance to do things that as artists will take us to the next level. This is an opportunity to go farther. Don't let yourself fall short.